Dimpling machine



April 8, 1947. F. J. sTYEs DIMPLING MACHINE Filed sept. 50, 194:5

INVENTOR. 778% J1 Zeg/e5. BY

sflwgp Patented Apr. 8, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DlMrLINGMM-:HINE

Fred .L Styes, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Chicago Pneumatic Tool compania New York, N. Y., a corporation of New J ersey Application September 30, 1943, Serial-f'No.. 5(lli,`368v 3 Claims'.

andl particularly to a dimpling machine havinga pilotrfor locating theaperture in the sheetrelative to the dimplingdies and. for automatically actuating the dies to perform. the dimpling operation.

It has been the practice heretofore to provide an upwardly projecting pilot, o-ver which the sheet. containing the apertures is manipulated to have an aperture move. into alignmentv with the pilotA to permit the. sheet to drop thereover. Thereafter, the4 operator trips a lever, by foot or hand, to produce the operation of the dies to perform; the dimpling operation.y It was awkward to move large sheets to'align an aperture with. the pilot and considerable time was stv during eac-h movement. It also required time to manipulate the lever andv the operationA was tedious; and fatiguing.

The presentv invention embodies a set of dim.- .pling dies, provided in aligned relation. The female die is disposed on the bed of the machine, and the male'die is Islidably supported on anV arbor .which is movable relative to the fixed or female die. The male die has a pilot formation thereon, `which is tapered to readily drop into an aperture and to thereafter accurately alignY the aperture with the axis of the die unit as the arbor is actuated to performl the dimpling operation.

A pair of contacts, carried by the male die and the arbor, engage each other after the pilot has dropped through an aperture. This closes. an electric circuit to a four-way valve connected to the fluid cylinder, which moves the arbor downwardly. Valves are provided in the circuit ofthe cylinder for independently controlling the.V d-ownward and upward movement of the arbor and a timing element is employed for holding the circuit closed after the contacts on the dies are broken. The timing element regulates the duration of the downward movement and the engagement of the dies and the sheet. Thereafter, the

uid valve is reversed and the fluidi is returned from the cylinder to tank, or exhausted into the atmosphere, when air is utilized. A spring within the cylinder returns the arbor to its uppermost position as the fluid is exhausted.

During the downward movement; oi the arbor, a latch engages adetent on the. male. die and*V this along with the pilot is retracted by the arbor during its upward movement. This moves the pilotv from the aperture, at which time the sheet is moved by the operator, after which the latch is automatically tripped to drop theY die andppermit the pilot to rest upon. thesuriace of the sheet.

.45 invention will. be specically pointed-1 out: or will Theoperator has. clear vision of the pilot andthe next aperture to. be dimpled and this may be.- readily andE quickly aligned withV the pilot to permit it to drop in the aperture, to automatically produce the operation ofthe device.- and the dimpling of the metal. about the aperture.

It is t'obev understood that the end of the pilot may be. capped with rubber,v leathen or other ma-A terial 'soA asto prevent. damage: tov ther surface of the sheet` when'. dropped: thereon after each operation and the. scratching of the. sheet when the sheet' is mo-veeirelative thereto. A

A shoulderA is, provided' onthe malek die, which isengaged by the, wall ot the arbor near the end of' its clowmivardv stroke, for directly forcing; the male. die andi the sheet; against the female. die, for forming the, dim-ple in. the material about the aperture..

Accordingly, the: main. objects of this invention are: to provide a dimpl-ing machine; which automatically operateswhen the pilot becomes; aligned with an aperture;l to provide ar pilot on. theV top side of the sheet 'sov that itsJ location relative to an aperture. may be readily seen by an. operator; to provide a xed female die in the bedeoi a machine and a male die having. a bodyr which. is telescoped into the hollow end of. an arbor, the wall of; which enges the shoulder'y ofthe die for directly-torcing the die against. the sheet and female die; to provide a movable die. on an arborhaving a pilot which rests upon a sheet having apertures, into which the. pilot drops to automatically operate the .device to perform a dimpling operation; to provide a. pair ci contactsv on the movable die and the .ar-bor, forcompleting an. electric circuit. when the pilot drops; into. an aperture, for operating. a val-ve through a timing .relay which moves the arbor and die; toV dimple the. portion of the sheet about the aperture; and, in. general, to provide a. device. for automaticallyv dimpling the metal abouti a 'series oifapertures, which is simple in construction, positive: in operation` and economical omanuiacture.

Other objects and` features o noveltyfof this thasozuctcre musi-,raten Fig. 2,. taken on; the

3 line 3-3 thereof, with the dies separated from each other; and,

Fig. 4 is a broken view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 3, with the dies moved into dimpling position.

The dimpling machine I comprises a base II and a. standard I2, which supports a hydraulic cylinder I3. The top I4 of the base II has a female dimpling die I5 extending therethrough, substantially flush with the top of the base, as illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. The cylinder contains a piston I6 which is mounted on a piston rod I1, the upper end of which extends through the cylinder head I8, to accurately align the rod with the axis of the cylinder. The .lower portion of the piston rod forms an arbor I9 having a central bore 2I in the lower end, in which the body 22 of a male die 23 is disposed for movement relative thereto. The wall 24 of the arbor I9 has a slot 25 therein through which a latch element 26 formed on the body 22 projects.

The latch element 26 carries a contact 21 which is insulated therefrom by the insulating element 28. A spring 29 urges the body 22 outwardly of the aperture 2I in the arbor I9 with only light pressure, thereby preventing a pilot 3|, on the male die 23, from damaging the surface of a sheet 32 which is to be operated upon. This sheet 32 is supported on base II and at a fixed level throughout the entire cycle of operation. The

wall of the arbor I9 carries a contact 33 on a bracket 34, and is insulated therefrom by an in.. sulating strip 35. A pair of conductors 36 and 31 are joined to the contacts 21 and 33 and are retained within a flexible protective sheath 38. Spaced brackets 39 project outwardly from the side of the arbor I9 for pivotally supporting a latch element or trigger 4I, having a latch head 42which is moved toward the arbor by a spring 43. The latch head 42 engages a detent 44 on the latch element 26 when the arbor is in lowered position at the end of a dimpling operation, and upon the elevation of the arbor withdraws the die 23 and the pilot 3I from the dimple and aperture to a position above the surface of the sheet 32. After the withdrawal, the operator im- -rnediately shifts the sheet 32 to advance the next adjacent aperture toward the pilot 3|. As the arbor I9 is raised a camming end 45 of the trig- 'ger 4I is engaged by a cam element 46 and the latch element 26 is released. The body 22 is then moved downwardly by the spring 29, and the end of the pilot 3l is brought again into engagement with the surface of the sheet 32. The cam element 46 is supported on a pintle 41, secured to spaced brackets 48 mounted on the cylinder. The cam element 46 is'secured in camming position by a latch 49, the end of which projects into anaperture 5I in one of the brackets I48. When it is desired to interrupt the operation of the machine, thelatch 49 is released, the cam clement 46 swings out of position thereby becoming inoperative, and the body 22 of the male die 23 is retained in upper latched position. This .permits the sheet of material 32 to be removed and a new sheet substituted therefor. -A pair of conductors 52 are vconnected to a source of electric current, notshown, and is joined to the conductors 36 and 31 in an outlet box 53, .suitably located on the standard I2, and to conductors in a sheath 54 connected to an adjust- 'able' timing element 55, which is of the holding or time delay type for retaining its contacts closed vafter the contacts 21 and 33 `are separated. The conductors in a sheath 56 are l,oinedto a solenoid 51 of a four-way valve 58, similar t0 a valve 3| of Merriman Patent 2,328,919. The Valve 58 in one position passes fluid to the cylinder I3 and in the other position exhausts the fluid therefrom. Conduits 59 and 6I are joined to the four-way valve 58 and to the cylinder I3. The conduits contain Valves 62 and 63 which control the flow of fluid being admitted or exhausted, to and from, the cylinder I3, so that the speed of movement of the male die 23 to and from the work may be adjusted to operate the same, but preferably at diierent speeds.

The time of the down movement and the contacting of the male die with the sheet and female die, during the dirnpling operation, is controlled by the adjustable timing element 55. When the timing element operates, current is cut oi from the valve, which is reversed by a spring to produce the upward movement ofthe male die. One or more conduits 64 are connected to the valve to conduct the iiuid to the valve and away therefrom to a tank, not shown,` when a liquid, such as oil, is employed, orto conduct the iiuid into acylinder, when a gas, such as air, is used, which may be exhausted directly toatmosphere -upon the retraction of the arbor.

A spring 65 returns the piston to the top of the cylinder as the fluid is exhausted therefrom. The upper end of the piston rod I1 is sealed to the head of the cylinder I3 by suitable packing material 66. A bearing 61, on the lower end of the cylinder, engages the arbor and maintains it aligned with the female die. Brackets 68, which are welded or otherwise secured to the outer surface of the cylinder, support the cylinder on the end of the standard I2, when secured thereto by suitable bolts 69.

After a sheet has been completely dimpled, the latch 49 is released to prevent the ca-m element 46 from being operated, when the arbor is retracted. This interrupts the continuous operation of the arbor and 4perniits the sheet, which has been dimpled, to be removed and a new sheet substituted therefor. The trigger 4I is then released by the operator to allow the pin to drop upon the surface of the sheet and the cam lever is secured in position by the latch 49. The sheet is then manipulated to permit the pilot 3| to drop into an aperture, which movement produces the engagement of the contacts 21 and 33 to complete the circuit to the timing relay 55, which operates to energize the solenoid 51 and actuate the valve 58. This admits iiuid to the top of the piston I6 to force the piston downwardly. This moves the arbor IS downwardly to move the pilot into the aperture, to accurately center the aperture relative to the dies. Thereafter, the lower end of the wall 2l! of the arbor engages the male die V23 to force it downwardly to perform the dimpling operation. The set of dies and the sheet will remain in intimate contact until the operation of the timing element 55. This interrupts the circuit tothe solenoid 51 and the valve 58is spring returned to its initial position. The fluid above the piston I6 will be exhausted into the atmosphere, or a receptacla'by the action of the spring 65, which moves the arbor upwardly. Valves 52 and 53 control the speed of movement of the arbor to and from dimpling position.

During the up movement` of the arbor I9, the head of the latch element 4I engages the detent 44 on the latch element 26 and the body 22 and male die 23 move upwardly with the arbor. After the pilot has been withdrawn from the aperture, the operator immediately shifts the sheet as the further continued upward movement of the arbor causes the cam element 46 to operate the trigger 4|. This releases the latch element 28 and permits the die element 23 and pilot to drop until the end of the pilot rests upon the surface of the sheet. The operator again shifts the sheet to have the next adjacent aperture moved into alignment with the pilot which drops therein and the operation above eiplained is automatically repeated. This is continued until all of the apertures of the sheet have had the material thereabout dimpled, after which the latch i9 is again released to prevent the trigger 4l from being actuated and the operation olf the device is interrupted. The operator again removes the dimpled sheet and places the next sheet to be dimpled in position on the base.

What is claimed is:

1. In a. device for dimpling the metal about apertures in a sheet of material, a stationary base for supporting the sheet at a Xed level during the entire cycle of operation, a dimpling die element rigidly supported by said base, a standard above said base, a cylinder on said standard, a piston in said cylinder, a rod on said piston, a mating die element movable on said rod and disposed in alignment with said rst die element, a pilot carried by, and rigid with, said movable die element above the sheet to be worked upon, releasable retaining means for retaining said movable die element and pilot out of contact with the sheet, the base and both die elements eX- clusively making contact with said sheet during operation, means for releasing said retaining means to permit the end of the pilot to engage the surface of the sheet, a valve for controlling the ow of fluid to and from the cylinder, a timing element for controlling the duration of the operation of the dies when relatively moved toward each other and while remaining in contact during the dimpling operation, means for returning said valve to its initial position when the timing device is de-energized for procuring the movement of the piston and rod to their initial position, means for securing said movable die element and pilot to the piston rod for moving the pilot out of the dimpled aperture, means for releasing the die and pilot near the end of the upward movement of the piston rod for permitting the end of the pilot to again drop into engagement with the surface of the sheet, and means for rendering said releasing means ineflective for interrupting the operation of the device after the pilot has been Withdrawn from the sheet.

2. A device, as in claim 1, in which the rod is tubular and the mating die element is movable therein.

3. A device, as in claim l, in which the rod is tubular and the mating die is movable therein and having resilient means disposed within the tubular rod adapted to impart downward pressure upon the mating die element.

FRED J. STYES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the Iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,375,707 Speller May 8, 1945 2,319,748 Rhodes May 18, 1943 2,323,015 Dent June 29, 1943 2,328,919 Merriman Sept. 7, 1943 389,404 ONeill Sept. 11, 1888 808,470 McGrath Dec. 26, 1905 904,714 McGrath Nov. 24, 1908 1,338,969 Britts May 4, 1920 2,288,378 Veit June 30, 1942 

